Wrench



(No Model.)

T. D. KEITH. WRENCH.

Patented Mar. `l0, 1891.

UNITEn STATES TRUMAN D. KEITH, OF SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,952, dated March 10, 1891.

Application filed November 21. 1890- Serial No. 372,236, `(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, TRUMAN D. KEITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Wrench, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention has relation to wrenches, the objects in view being to provide a wrench adapted to operate upon various-sized pipes, rods, and nuts, which is self-adjusting to the various` sizes, of simple construction, consist! ing of few parts easily assembled, durable, and cheap.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig.

3 is a detail in perspective of the swinging jaw. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the adjusting-sleeve. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line :2c :c of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts invall the figures of the drawings.

In practicing my invention I construct. a shank or stock 2, rectangular in cross-section, and at the lower end of the same apply in any manner a suitable handle. Near its upper end the stock is bent forwardly at an obtuse angle to its body portion, as at 1, and terminates in a bent head 3, disposed at a right angle tothe bent portion 1, and provided at each side with re-enforced shoulders 4, extending laterally some distance from the sides or faces of the stock.

5 designates a sleeve rectangular in crosssection and loosely fitting the stock 2. The rear wall of the sleeve is provided upon its inner surface, near its lower end, with a trans verse rib G, designed to enga-ge with either of a pair of notches or adjusting recesses 7, formed in the rear edge of the stock 2. The

upper ends of the opposite sides of the sleeve 5 are provided with circular lugs 8, and the front wall of the sleeve is provided with a transverse opening 9.

10 designates a pair of jaws, which I prefer to form of sheet-steel by bending the same jaws.

so .as to embrace the shank, as shown. The lower ends of the jaws are provided with substantially semicircular recesses 11, which are applied in a lateral direction to the lugs 8 and are adapted to swing upon said lugs. The rear ends of the jaws are connected by a bolt or other stop l2 in rear of the stock 2, said bolt serving to limit the movement of the jaws in one direction by vcoming in contact with the stock. The working edges of the jaws are curved eccentrically with relation to thebearing-lug 8 and are toothed, as at 13, the teeth extending rearwardly toward the head of the stock. The teeth extend to about the inner edge of the stock when the jaws are swung to the front, and in rear of the teeth the jaws are plain and adapted to abut against the shoulders 4 of the head or jaw 3.

14 designates a flat spring, which near its lower end is passed through the transverse opening 9, formed in the front wall of the sleeve 5, and bears, as at 15, upon the front surface of the shank 2, while above the slot said spring bears, as at 16, against the transverse connecting portion 17 of the pivoted The lower end of the spring serves to maintain the transverse rib of the sleeve in engagement with any one of the notches 7 formed in the shank or stock, while the upper end of the spring normally presses the hinged jaws to the front.

In operation upon a rod or pipe it is simply necessary to embrace the rod or pipe by forcing the wrench over the same, the jaws readily swinging to the rear, so as to adjust the space between them and the fixed head or jaw properly, when by swinging the handle to the rear the teeth of the pivoted jaws bind against the surface of the rod or pipe and thelocking of the wrench thereupon is completed. By drawing the wrench toward the operator the wrench becomes unlooked and by reversing the same again locked, so that a further partial rotation of the pipe or rod may be obtained. It will be observed that by the disposition of the parts with relation to each other a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention avoids the usual tendency of crushing thin pipes, for the reason that the tendency is in the directionof rotation and little, if an y, force IOO is directed toward the center of the pipe, such pressure merely amounting to that caused by the spring.

In applying the device to nuts the operation is similar to that just described, with the exception that the wrench is applied sidewise, and it is for such application that the shoulders 4 are provided, the object being to extend the fixed jaw or head laterally, so as to be in the same plane with the swinging jaws, and thereby adapt it to coactwith the same in the application or removal of the nut.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. In a wrench of the class described, the combination, with the stock or shank bent at its upper end to form a iixed head or jaw, of a sleeve mounted loosely upon the shank, a pair of jaws pivoted to the upper end of the sleeve, embracing the shank and having an eccentrically-curved toothed working-face, a rib formed upon the inner side of the sleeve and adapted to engage recesses formed in the shank, and a spring for normally forcing the rib into the recesses and forpressing the jaws to the front, substantially as described.

2. In a Wrench, the combination, with the stock or shank provided upon its rear face with notches and having its upper end bent to form a rigid or fixed jaw or head, of a sleeve loosely fitting the shank, provided upon its interior with a rib for engaging' the notches and at its front with a transverse opening, a pair of jaws connected and embracing the stock or shank, and a tlat spring passed through the opening in the sleeve and having its lower portion pressing against the front face of the stock and its upper end terminating against the inner connecting portion of the jaws, substantially as specified.

3. In a wrench, the combination, with the stock bent at its upper end to form a fixed head or jaw, a sliding sleeve mounted thereon, and a pair of jaws embracing the stock and pivoted at their lower ends to the sleeve, of means for adjusting the sleeve upon the stock, substantially as specified.

et. In a wrench, the combination, with the rectangular stock having its upper end bent to form a xed heador jaw and having lateral extensions or shoulders projecting beyond the opposite faces of the stock, of a pair of spring-pressed jaws pivoted below the head and adapted lto coact therewith, said jaws embracing the stock below the shoulders, sub stantially as specified.

5. In a wrench, the combination, with the rectangular stock the rear edge of which is provided with a series of notches, said stock being bent at an obtuse angle-near its upper end and having its upper end bent ata right angle to said obtusely-bent portion and provided with laterally-disposed shoulders, of a sleeve loosely fitting the stock, provided upon its inner rear side with a rib forengaging the notches of the stock, at its front side with a transverse opening, and at its upper opposite sides with substantially circular lugs, a pair of jaws loosely embracing the stock, provided with semicircular recesses at their lower ends 'for engaging the lugs and having their working-faces eccentrically curvedand toothed with relation to their bearings, a bolt connect` ing the rear ends of the jaws and a plate connecting their front ends, and a flat spring bearing against said front end in rear thereof and having its lower end passed through the transverse opening of the sleeve and bearing against the front face* of the stock, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TRUMAN D. KEITH.

lVitnesses:

T. EARLEY, G. E. PRossER. 

